It’s that time of year again for all you hardcore, or even n00b, comic fans! It’s San Diego Comic Con! Only less than a month away and you can feel the rush in the geekdom air to get the costumes and schedules laid out. Mad money has been saved for months to end up clearing out a vendor or two.

SDCC has quickly grown into a media frenzy in the past four years and looks like there is no slowing down. The convention can be quite overwhelming for newcomers and veterans alike. With that said, it’s good to have a game plan before you attend. So here are some helpful hints to get you through this yearly event or any convention that you might attend. And please don’t hesitate to inform us of some of your own!

1. Badges! YES, you do need those stinkin’ badges!

N00b or veteran, Please register early! The SDCC sold out last year and it looks no different this year. Can you imagion the convention still packed on Sunday!? If you are trying to still get a badge or two for this years event, you might be able to bid on some on Ebay. There are still some badges for single days left! If not, try and get those badges for ‘09 as soon as they go on sale at www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg.shtml.

2. Find a Save Point!

In other words, find a place to stay in San Diego early. The majority of the hotels, motels, and even bed and breakfeasts sell out for the whole Comic Con weekend! If you do have trouble, see if you can share a room with a couple of friends who have got one or book a hotel outside of San Diego and plan on taking public transportation to the convention center.

3. Early Bird gets the Worm

Yes, arrive early to pick up those stinkin’ badges and for the rest of the weekend. It helps when you want to get to everything you would like to get to. That goes for anything from exclusive previews, Q&A’s, costume contests, signings and even gaming events.

4. Bring your own supplies!

Bring a pen, sketch books, poster tubes, SHARPIES!! (I always forget those) Even a bottle or two of some water. Yes, a bottle of water won’t hurt to keep yourself hydrated. The convention center can and will get very packed, very quickly in the hot San Diego summer, especially if you are waiting on lines outside.

5. Stratigize

If you are going for one day or all four, take a look at the scheduling online at http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_prog.shtml and try and plan out what events you would like to hit. Once there take a look at the Events Guide you will receive when you get your badge and adjust anything you would like to do and see. David Glanzer of Comic Con marketing and public relations says, “The bigger the events require longer lines, sometimes waiting in line for hours. If you don’t plan ahead, you’ll miss everything but the basics.”